Pursuit of justice

MANY people will have read your editorial (“Chhokar murder must be visibly pursued”, 16 January) with concern and sympathy for the family of murdered Surjit Singh Chhokar. Sadly there are other earlier cases that have also been called “Scotland’s Stephen Lawrence”.

Almost every word in your editorial has parallels to the racist murder and trial in Edinburgh in 1989 of Axmed Abuukar Sheekh, a Somali student at Stevenson College. This case resulted in three arrests, two prosecutions but only one conviction – for assault and for possession of a knife, but not for murder.

There was strong evidence of racial motivation and, after the trial, there were public demands for an investigation into the outcome.

It is accepted that reviewing such cases will not be easy and may not be welcome to some, but for the good name of Scottish justice, and in recognition of the fact that racism in many forms still exists to be tackled, it is essential that these cases are indeed made visible and reflected upon.

Joan Weir

The Axmed Abuukar Sheekh Commemorative Group

Edinburgh